Choo's absense with a sprained left ankle wasn't expected, but Phillips still got his standard day off.

"I didn't anticipate having Choo and Brandon out of there, but I had told Brandon yesterday before the game," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "Usually I like to give the guys on the All-Star team a day off even after they get back after the All-Star Game. You're usually kind of burned out and you don't do much [at the plate]."

Phillips entered the day batting .258 with 12 home runs and his 81 RBIs were second-most in the National League. Since the All-Star break, he was batting .190 (8-for-42) with no homers and seven RBIs.

"As you've seen, he's been scuffling some," Baker said.

Cesar Izturis played second base, while right fielder Jay Bruce moved up a spot to bat fourth in Phillips' place.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.